THE St Vincent de Paul Society has spearheaded the Catholic response to the Federal budget, detailing how people on the lowest incomes will be worse off. “If you’re locked out of a job or in an insecure job, this Budget doesn’t even bring home the two-minute noodles,” St Vincent ‘s National Council chief executive officer Dr John Falzon said. Dr ... Read More »
A SUCCESSFUL Brisbane businesswoman remembers sleeping in her family’s car as a child and escaping family violence as a teenager. “We slept in the back of mum and dad’s car because we had no house. I was so scared,” Helen Yost, an ambassador for Vinnies CEO Sleepout, said. Ms Yost is the founder and general manager of all-female plumbing company ... Read More »
LEADING charities have seen a drop in donations because of the rise of online sites where consumers are buying, selling and swapping household goods. Charities including Vinnies and the Salvos find themselves in competition with apps, and selling websites have made it easy to earn fast cash. People now have the option to upload an item online and potentially have ... Read More »
IT’S not every day the chief executive officer of Queensland’s largest Catholic charity interrupts your Saturday-morning soccer session to hand you an award. But that was the scenario for 21-year-old Daniel Ingledew, who last year received a surprise award from the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Queensland chief executive Peter Maher in the middle of a soccer game. Mr Ingledew ... Read More »
A GROUP of complete strangers from Brisbane have become the lifeline for a refugee family of seven who escaped their war-ravaged country three years ago. Fifteen-year-old Salim, his mother and five siblings left their home country of Somalia, which has been marred by an ongoing civil war, and arrived in Australia as refugees in what Salim said was a search ... Read More »
THE Christmas season is shaping up as one of extreme financial hardship for many families, while an increasing number of people are being forced into homelessness. As the St Vincent de Paul Society launches its annual Christmas Appeal, the organisation is predicting the next few weeks will be tougher than ever before for people in need. “Certainly (there is) going ... Read More »
STANDING overlooking the sprawling township of Nambour, Catholic woman Annette Baker points to some vacant land where she imagines building affordable studio units for people at risk of homelessness. “About ten units … It doesn’t have to be government-funded, it could be private donors,” Mrs Baker said, outlining her latest plan to provide housing for low-income households. Every night an ... Read More »
HOMELESS people across the Sunshine Coast will have a new reason to cheer for their biggest supporter, Nambour Catholic woman Annette Baker. The Nambour parishioner and member of the St Vincent de Paul Society for 17 years was named Community Leader of the Year in Brisbane last week. Mrs Baker received the award for her contribution to Vinnies in ... Read More »
VOLUNTEERS in Vinnies Stanthorpe, within Toowoomba diocese, were thinking outside the donation box. In recent weeks the Creek Street outlet displayed a treasure trove of photo memorabilia found mostly “within books and furniture drawers” over the last six years. Centre co-ordinator Debbie Craven hoped visitors would assist to return the photos to rightful owners. “If we recognise anyone (in the ... Read More »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
